SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Hello, everyone. Can anyone give me reading recommendations? I'm looking to read fantasy novel where the main characters are studying and training in something like a school of mercenaries. You know, school, academy, camp, city or guild that teaches you magic and physical combat and all stuffs in life. Kinda like the Garden concept in the video game Final Fantasy VIII , kinda like the Harry Potter series. I hope there's at least some fantasy novels with this protagonists-training-in-academy theme. Any titles anyone??

They don't actually teach physical combat in this book, but there is a branch of magic called physical The Magicians

This one's more of a military academy rather than magic
&
Is similar in some ways to Harry Potter

Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist is sort of a twist on that theme. The combat isn't exactly what you'd expect, but the situation and environment are close to what you're looking for.

Mercedes Lackey's Valdemar books mostly center around the Collegium (sp?) where the young Heralds train.

LE Modesett's Recluse series starts off with the MC going off to learn/train.

The Paksenarrion books by Elizabeth Moon follow Paks as she trains to become a soldier. (This series is high on my list of favorites)

The Emperor's Blades by Brian Stavely. It's about three siblings who are the children of a recently deceased emperor. One (the heir to the throne) is being trained as sort of a monk in a mountaintop monastery in order to prepare him for leadership (and to teach him ancient powers that only the emperor can wield), another is learning the ins and outs of politics back in the capital (while she investigates her father's suspicious death), and the third is being trained to join a group of warriors who ride giant birds of prey. It's the first of a series.

It is one of my favorite themes :-). Some ideas:

> The Name of the Wind (already mentioned, but worth endorsing ;-))
> Magician: Apprentice
> Talion: Revenant
> Blood Song
> books 2 and 3 of the series Codex Alera (i.e. Academ's Fury)

One of my favourite magic training school type series is The Black Magician trilogy by Trudi Canavan. It starts with .

The Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo is also great although it's a YA fantasy trilogy. It starts with

The Study Trilogy by Maria V Snyder also has a magic school but the main character doesn't go there to study until book 2:

I don't know if the Vampire Academy series should go on this list. I haven't read any books in the series, but some of my friends have and they liked them. Not sure if you want this kind of fantasy, as everything else on this list is pure fantasy, whereas the Vampire Academy series has elements of urban fantasy.

Blood Song, by Anthony Ryan.

A good story. The protagonist at a young age enters a military order, monastery-like academy, where he learns, along with the friends he makes there, the craft of his trade -- swords, knives, bows and arrows, and the like. The first half of the book is almost completely about the trials and tribulations of their growing up while being trained under harsh, and sometimes brutal, conditions.

Try this- it's excellent and out of the ordinary- for adults and not epic Lexicon

Hi Brittany I love Ender's Game. I think it's safe to say that Ender's game will remain one of my favourite books of all time. Just on the academy theme, it's only present in the first novel. If you like the novel then I recommend reading the Ender's shadow series. Which is a spin off the original.

And it's Scifi, rather than fantasy.

Totally second The Last Herald-Mage,

Furies of Calderon,

and Lexicon.

The Furies of Calderon is one of my favourite series. Although I do prefer the earlier novels, the series as a whole is still one of my favourites.

Robin wrote: "I don't know if the Vampire Academy series should go on this list. I haven't read any books in the series, but some of my friends have and they liked them. Not sure if you want this kind of fantasy..."

I've only read the first 2 VA books so far. They're solid, but not amazing, but everyone keeps telling me the series gets much better after book 3(of 6) and it definitely fits the bill as far as the academy training goes.

Also, Percy Jackson might be worth looking into, though a nice portion of those books is taken over by quests rather than at the camp.

Divergent by Veronica Roth. I don't know about the movie, but I raced through the book. It was an easy page turner.

Thank you for your info and recommendations, pals.

Bean wrote: "Divergent by Veronica Roth. I don't know about the movie, but I raced through the book. It was an easy page turner."

I dug the movie, but the book was much better.

The classics by Lyndon Hardy, Master of the Five Magics and Secret of the Sixth Magic feature a magic academy. There's a third one called Riddle of the Seven Realms that I never got a chance to read.

I might just put Vampire academy on my TBR shelf.

Would definitely second Blood Song - Anthony Ryan. Great story

LIVES OF CHRISTOPHER CHANT, by Diana Wynn Jones. Another young-magician story, very different but equally addictive is the Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud.

I've added both the Last Herald Mage and The Chronicles of Chrestomanci to my "to read" list. Thank you Michele/ Julia/ Brenda. .. and Stanley for raising the topic!

Looking forward to more recommendations :-)

Mercedes Lackey!!



Arrows of the Queen (Trilogy)



Last Herald Mage (Trilogy)

Bean wrote: "Divergent by Veronica Roth. I don't know about the movie, but I raced through the book. It was an easy page turner."

Reading this right now. Saw the movie, and looks like the movie so far follows the book pretty closely, but the book gives more insight into the characters' feelings and thoughts.

My novel God School is now available for pre-order on Kindle.

18-year-old Ev Bannen was just hoping to get admitted to college. He never expected to be recruited to a school for gods, where he’ll be spending his days building up his strength, learning to answer prayers and getting an education in religion alongside aspiring god of money Jaysin Marx, the lovely but troubled Maya Brünhart and Asperger’s-afflicted Daryn Anders. But the organization of evil gods, Zero Grade, has plans to unleash hell on earth, and they require the blood of potential gods to do it. What’s more, someone close to Ev is not who they claim to be, and their betrayal may doom mankind forever. Ev steps up to save the day, but does he even stand a chance in hell of defeating a legendary deity?

http://www.amazon.com/God-School-Divi...

The Saga of Recluce

The Magic of Recluce

Last night Amazon recommended to me a series by Diane Duane called "Young Wizards." It's prominently on her page in that link. I know nothing about it other than it fits the OP's criteria.

Princess Academy, by Shannon Hale. ;-)

A Crucible of Souls by Mitchell Hogan has elements of academy training. I quite like the magic system in this book, it's new and creative. Just about to start reading the second book in the series. Sadly there's currently only two novels in the series.

A little late to the party, but this thread isn't complete without A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin, which is the earliest magic academy book I can think of.